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Report Available on March 2018 EUON Stakeholder Dialogue Meeting
BlogNanoTech

The European Union Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) has posted the workshop report from the March 9, 2018, Stakeholder Dialogue meeting. According to the report, the annual meeting focused on providing an update on EUON and allowing stakeholders an opportunity to share their views on expectations on the future development of EUON. During his welcome address, Jukka Malm, European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), acknowledged that some stakeholders preferred a mandatory register for nanomaterials instead of an observatory. Malm reminded stakeholders that the meeting should “focus on how to best work together to make EUON more useful within existing limitations.” According to Abdel Sumrein, ECHA, EUON intends to launch two databases in June 2018, eNanoMapper and NanoData. Sumrein described the possible future integration of national inventories on nanomaterials to EUON. Sumrein stated that studies on pigments and on EU markets are expected to be published in May 2018. Georgios Katalagarianakis, European Commission (EC), RTD, explained EU nano safety research policy, highlighting the Nano Safety Cluster and stressing the importance for research to match with regulatory objectives. Monique Groenewold, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), offered an EU Member State’s view of what EUON should deliver to regulators, including transparency, traceability, monitoring, knowledge of what is on the market, and user-friendly and easily accessible databases to understand the risks. Groenewold stated that it is key to continue urging the EC to provide necessary preconditions such as an update to the Annexes of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation; a harmonized and unequivocal EU definition of nanomaterials; and future financial commitment of the EC. Damien De Geeter, French Ministry for an Ecological and Solidary Transition, discussed the lessons learned from the French national register for nanomaterials. According to De Geeter, limited access to the data in the register was given only to French regulatory and research agencies due to confidentiality concerns, and the data are being used for risk assessment and exposure on a national level. Aida Ponce del Castillo, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), gave a presentation outlining five key development proposals on the regulatory governance of nanomaterials: make information about nanomaterials public and visible; prioritize nanoforms; establish mandatory safety data sheets (SDS) for nanoforms; include labeling of nanomaterials in the same way as for cosmetics; and compile and harmonize data from national registries and disseminate it through EUON. Claire Skentelbery, Nanomaterials Industry Association (NIA), addressed industry expectations for EUON and how industry can contribute. Skentelbery’s suggestions for further developing EUON to meet industry needs include case studies on nanomaterials and nano-enabled product development, nano safety assessment tools linked to databases, links to standards for nanomaterials assessments, and a calendar of events where EUON is present as an umbrella for nanotechnology forums or topics.